The Bloody Mission Wants You to Climb Twice the Height of Australia in 4 Days

Ok, we lied, it’s a bit more than twice the height. Forget your 5km parkrun, the Find Your Mountain challenge is about logging 5000m of vertical ascent over four steep days, and raising money for the Leukemia Foundation in the process.

Running and hiking are just one big metaphor. Put one foot in front of the other, enjoy the journey, climb that goddamn mountain. There’s something very human about the experience of persevering through hardship, whether that’s the pain of a road marathon or the journey to a summit.

It parallels our struggles and gives us the tools to cope. From mental health battles to the pain of losing a loved one, getting stuck into a challenge (ideally outdoors) can be a powerful tonic.

The Bloody Mission has captured this lightning in a bottle, first through Cal Gate’s ultra run of the 250km Great North Walk – The Blood Run – and then The Bloody Mission, where Cal roped in four mates to run the 480km Tassie Trail in relay form, over four brutal days.

The Bloody Mission crew in Hobart | @lumingatevisuals

There’s also been The Mud Run, a last-person-standing ‘backyard ultra’ that looped a particularly brutal 6.7km course, and the inaugural Vertical 5km challenge, where 15 legends climbed a relentless section of the Great North Walk on repeat.

This year, the Vertical 5km event is back, and I’ll be one of a small group taking on the challenge. But you can also get involved, keep reading to learn about the Find Your Mountain challenge and climb 5000m over four days, anywhere in the world.

In the words of the Bloody Mission: ‘What if a running event could capture the relentless struggle of a leukemia diagnosis?’

Already convinced? Express your interest

Expecting a bit of this | @danwferris

The Vertical 5km

The Vertical 5km Challenge kicks off on the 15th of November this year with an exclusive event at Heaton Gap, a brutal trail that climbs 353m over one 2.4km lap. Twenty-five insane entrants will do 16 laps to complete their vertical 5000m, and there’s sure to be carnage.

I have a personal connection to the cause, having recently lost a close family member to leukemia. Cal and the Bloody Mission crew inspire me by the way they chase real action – they’ve raised $180,000 to date – and genuinely make space for their feelings and the impact of loss when you talk with them.

I first met Cal in Hobart after The Bloody Mission challenge, and more recently appeared on the podcast where we had a good yarn. We’d bonded over a love of doing hard things, and some shared traumas we’d had to work through too.

So when a text came through inviting me to spend up to 14 hours climbing up and down a hill, my heart said yes, even as my head and legs screamed no.

When I lost my Mum to a degenerative brain condition, I found out via a phone call whilst on top of Mount Kosciuszko. With a snowstorm tearing in from the west, I strapped on my snowshoes, put my head down, and began the trudge back to camp. 

On that day, it felt like challenging myself outdoors became something more than just hardship for ego – it became a way to connect with those deep feelings that often fade in the busyness of life. A way to remind myself that I can and will get through hard things.

Want to get involved? Find Your Mountain!

From the 27th of November, The Bloody Mission is encouraging people to find and climb their own mountain, while raising money for the Leukemia Foundation. 

It’s called Find Your Mountain: ascend 5000 metres all at once or over four days, alone or with mates, and aim to raise at least $500 (I reckon go for $5000).

Sound like your kind of challenge? Express your interest and be the first to know more. I’ll see you on the hill.